A Formação de Oficiais de Administração: Especificidades, Oportunidades e Contingências na senda de uma Carreira Profissional

Face ao paradigma atual onde são constantemente impostas às entidades públicas medidas para a racionalização de recursos, os Estabelecimentos de Ensino Superior Público Universitário Militar não são exceção tornando-se cada vez mais premente a aposta numa gestão eficiente e eficaz. Neste âmbito, a Contabilidade Analítica assume de forma crescente um papel dominante na análise e controlo dos custos por atividade. O presente Trabalho de Investigação Aplicada encontra-se subordinado ao tema “A Formação de Oficiais de Administração: Oportunidades, Especificidades e Contingências na senda de uma Carreira Profissional”. Assim, o objetivo geral do presente trabalho passa pelo cálculo do custos de formação dos alunos de Administração dos três ramos das Forças Armadas e desta forma, optar pelo modelo mais rentável economicamente. Para o cálculo do custo, de entre as inúmeras opções existentes relativamente a sistemas de custeio, baseámo-nos no método das Secções Homogéneas ou Centros de Custos. A estrutura do trabalho pode ser dividida em duas partes, a primeira de cariz teórico e a segunda uma vertente prática. A metodologia adotada teve como referência o método de investigação em Ciência Sociais, isto é, partindo de uma pergunta central de investigação, que origina perguntas derivadas, procuram-se respostas através da formulação, exploração e teste de hipóteses. De acordo com os resultados do presente estudo podemos verificar que é o modelo de formação utilizada na Academia Militar o mais rentável economicamente. Desta forma, dadas as evidentes afinidades científicas existentes entre os cursos seria pertinente uma reconfiguração da estrutura científica, durações e do perfil formativo dos diferentes cursos. Assim, uma reorganização que elimine redundâncias e promova a partilha de recursos possibilitará ganhos de eficiência na gestão e consequentemente redução de custos.

Social justice intents in policy: an analysis of capability for and through education

Primarily developed as an alternative to narrow measures of well-being such as utility and resources, Amartya Sen’s capability approach places strong emphasis on people’s substantive opportunities. As a broad normative framework, the capability approach has become a valuable tool for understanding and evaluating social arrangements (e.g. education policies and development programmes) in terms of individuals’ effective freedoms to achieve valuable beings and doings. This paper explores the recent emergence of ‘capability’ in Australian education policy, specifically in the Australia in the Asian Century White Paper. We explore capability as a framing device and reveal how its various meanings are at odds with the scholarly literature, specifically Sen’s conception of capability and its implications for social justice in and through education. The analysis shows that the social justice intent of a capability approach appears to be overtaken in the White Paper by an emphasis on outcomes, performance and functionings that seek to serve the nation’s economic interests more than the interests of students, especially the disadvantaged.

A child-centered scale of informal social control for Latino parents of preschool-age children: development and validation

Perceived neighborhood informal social control may determine whether parents allow their young children to be physically active in the neighborhood. We developed and validated a scale of neighborhood child-centered informal social control appropriate for Latino parents of preschool-age children. The scale was administered to 240 Latino parents, mainly mothers, recruited from neighborhoods cross-stratified by objectively measured crime and traffic safety. Participants completed measures of community cohesion, perceived signs of physical and social disorder, traffic safety and hazards, and perceived stranger danger. A subsample was reassessed 1 week later to determine test-retest reliability. Confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs) were conducted to examine the fit of the data to a priori measurement models. Construct validity was assessed by estimating the associations of the scale with the other measures. The scale showed good test-retest reliability, and factorial and construct validity. The scale needs to be cross-validated on other samples and Latino fathers.

The role of social support in protecting mental health when employed and unemployed: a longitudinal fixed-effects analysis using 12 annual waves of the HILDA cohort

Perceived social support is associated with overall better mental health. There is also evidence that unemployed workers with higher social support cope better psychologically than those without such support. However, there has been limited research about the effect of social support among people who have experienced both unemployment and employment. We assessed this topic using 12 years of annually collected cohort data. The sample included 3190 people who had experienced both unemployment and employment. We used longitudinal fixed-effects modelling to investigate within-person changes in mental health comparing the role of social support when a person was unemployed to when they were employed. Compared to when a person reported low social support, a change to medium (6.35, 95% 5.66 to 7.04, p < 0.001) or high social support (11.58, 95%, 95% CI 10.81 to 12.36, p < 0.001) was associated with a large increase in mental health (measured on an 100 point scale, with higher scores representing better mental health). When a person was unemployed but had high levels of social support, their mental health was 2.89 points (95% CI 1.67 to 4.11, p < 0.001) higher than when they were employed but had lower social support. The buffering effect of social support was confirmed in stratified analysis. There was a strong direct effect of social support on mental health. The magnitude of these differences could be considered clinically meaningful. Our results also suggest that social support has a significant buffering effect on mental health when a person is unemployed.

Social desirability bias in the reporting of alcohol consumption: a randomized trial

OBJECTIVE: To investigate reporting of alcohol consumption, we manipulated the contexts of questions in ways designed to induce social desirability bias. METHOD: We undertook a two-arm, parallel-group, individually randomized trial at an Australian public university. Students were recruited by email to a web-based "Research Project on Student Health Behavior." Respondents answered nine questions about their physical activity, diet, and smoking. They were unknowingly randomized to a group presented with either (A) three questions about their alcohol consumption or (B) seven questions about their alcohol dependence and problems (under a prominent header labeled "Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test"), followed by the same three alcohol consumption questions from (A). RESULTS: A total of 3,594 students (mean age = 27, SD = 10) responded and were randomized: 1,778 to Group A and 1,816 to Group B. Outcome measures were the number of days they drank alcohol, the typical number of drinks they consumed per drinking day, and the number of days they consumed six or more drinks. The primary analysis included participants with any alcohol consumption in the preceding 4 weeks (1,304 in Group A; 1,340 in Group B) using between-group, two-tailed t tests. RESULTS: In Groups A and B, respectively, means (and SDs) of the number of days drinking were 5.89 (5.92) versus 6.06 (6.12), p = .49; typical number of drinks per drinking day: 4.02 (3.87) versus 3.82 (3.76), p = .17; and number of days consuming six or more drinks: 1.69 (2.94) versus 1.67 (3.25), p = .56. CONCLUSIONS: We could not reject the null hypothesis because earlier questions about alcohol dependence and problems showed no sign of biasing the respondents' subsequent reports of alcohol consumption. These data support the validity of university students' reporting of alcohol consumption in web-based studies.

An analysis of clinical handover miscommunication using a language and social psychology approach

Clinical handover is a key communication event in patient care and a major contributing factor in adverse events in hospitals. Current research on handover emphasizes communication skills training. We investigate the intergroup context and systemic factors of the hospital environment that also affect handover. We explore the responses of 707 health professionals about handover practice. We invoke Coupland and colleagues’ integrative model of “miscommunication” to interpret these. Results support the model. Responses reflect a lack of communication competency, intergroup group relations, and the hidden ideology of the health care system. Health professionals in hospitals are often unaware of the socio-structural element in health care and so cannot bring about cultural change. We suggest that clinicians work with communication and interdisciplinary scholars to bring about system improvement.

Mean girls, homosociality and football: an education on social and power dynamics between girls and women

Relationships between girls and women have typically been explored through the lexicon of ‘friendship’ or, where there is a presence of sexual desire, ‘lesbian’. This article suggests the complexity and impact of female (same-sex) sociality, and its relationship to heteronormativity and power dynamics between girls and women runs deeper than the terms ‘friendship’ or ‘lesbian’ give rise to. Exploring social and power dynamics amongst girls and women, this article explores how gender is policed and negotiated within a framework of homosociality. Drawing on empirical research within a women's Australian Rules football team, I explore the complexity of female same-sex bonds, the negotiation of gender embodiment and performance within female homosocial spaces, and the emergence of women's own lexicons in making sense of their relationships with other women in this particular social sphere, further considering how this might be applied to other female homosocial spaces, including same-sex educational and sporting sites.

Remixing as a creative and social approach to learning design

This paper discusses the concepts of remixing and morphing in learning design. In particular, it focuses on how the authors used approaches and findings from a high school action research study to inform their work in higher education. This was done in an attempt to build authentic and active student learning experiences that align with the needs of the 21st Century, and they argue that remixing offers a creative and social approach to the designing of learning. The high school study embedded social and participatory media into the face-to-face classroom. This opened up opportunities for students to interact and share user-generated content. The authors discuss how they have used the approaches and findings from this high school study in their work in teacher education and pre-service teacher education, as well in as learning design in the Business and Law Faculty. The authors' university has a strategic plan that identifies the world as globally connected, with new ideas available at the touch of a button and innovation 'anywhere' and at 'any time' and this paper supports that agenda. Using the concept of remixing the authors build on their previous work in learning design and make explicit the sharing nature within a remix approach. The use of the concept of remix is demonstrated within a bigger picture of what is sometimes called 'course-wide' thinking. The authors argue that this work contributes evidence and analysis that can inform course designers, practitioner-researchers and the work of academics, from across disciplines, to design courses that recognise and support active student learning.

Teachers’ perspectives and practices on social and emotional learning: multiple case study approach

 This thesis has explored how Preparatory teachers in two Victorian primary schools understand and implement social and emotional learning in their classrooms. The findings of this research indicated that the participating teachers paid more attention to children's social skills rather than to their emotional skills. Another important finding was that social and emotional learning has a very limited place within the policies and the curricula of the participating schools.

Value chain supply procurement strategies in international construction: cases of foreign constructors in China

Purpose – Firms compete using a variety of strategies. Typically they aim to provide something different, to be better, or simply cheaper. In the construction industry, the performance characteristics, quality and cost of the final delivered project will be the outcome of the interplay of capabilities of all the firms involved in the project. Consequently, in order to improve competitiveness, firms must pay attention to not only their own competitive advantage but to those of the firms, both up-stream and down-stream, on whom they depend in delivering their projects. For foreign constructors in China, those competitive considerations will be informed by circumstances different from home. How then do foreign constructors adapt themselves to the problem of sourcing competitively when located within a China-based supply chain? The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach – In this study 60 foreign enterprises operating within the Chinese construction sector were investigated by using a comparative case study approach.

Findings – Four generic procurement strategies were identified. First, firms adapt themselves in the search for optimal supply sources by replicating home-based suppliers, controlling local suppliers, or by remaining agile and non-aligned. Second, firms develop niche supply monopolies through market dominance, uniquely differentiated offerings, or by integration with down-stream providers. Third, firms find opportunities to bring in off-shore technology intensive procurements, where that technology is either protected, improved upon, or sold. Finally, firms also seek to transit to China as a procurement base in order to reduce local supply cost, service world-wide operations, or as part of a total strategy of China relocation.

Originality/value – The identification of this rich range of procurement approaches will be of interest to internationalization strategists, as well as to industry practitioners looking to find appropriate business models for off-shore operations.

Parent-related mechanisms underlying the social gradient of childhood overweight and obesity: a systematic review

BACKGROUND: Low socio-economic status (SES) is a significant risk factor for childhood overweight and obesity (COWOB) in high-income countries. Parents to young children buffer and accentuate social and cultural influences, and are central to the development of this disease. An understanding of the parent-related mechanisms that underlie the SES-COWOB relationship is needed to improve the efficacy of prevention and intervention efforts. OBJECTIVE: A systematic review of relevant literature was conducted to investigate the mechanisms by which levels of SES (low, middle and high) are associated to COWOB, by exploring mediation and interaction effects. METHOD: Six electronic databases were searched yielding 5155 initial records, once duplicates were removed. Studies were included if they investigated COWOB, SES, parent-related factors and the multivariate relationship between these factors. Thirty studies were included. Factors found to be mediating the SES-COWOB relationship or interacting with SES to influence COWOB were categorized according to an ecological systems framework, at child, parent, household and social system level factors. RESULTS: High parent body mass index, ethnicity, child-care attendance, high TV time (mother and child), breastfeeding (early weaning), food intake behaviours and birthweight potentially mediate the relationship between SES and COWOB. Different risk factors for COWOB in different SES groups were found. For low SES families, parental obesity and maternal depressive symptoms were strong risk factors for COWOB, whereas long maternal working hours and a permissive parenting style were risk factors for higher SES families. None of the studies investigated parental psychological attributes such as attitudes, beliefs, self-esteem and so on as potential mechanisms/risk factors. CONCLUSIONS: Families from different SES groups have different risk and protective factors for COWOB. Prevention and intervention efforts may have improved efficacy if they are tailored to address specific risk factors within SES.

Social networks in Argentinian libraries : Tips to formulate a communicational policy

En base a los resultados obtenidos en investigaciones efectuadas por el grupo de investigación del Instituto de Investigaciones en Humanidades y Ciencias Sociales (UNLP-CONICET) sobre redes sociales en distintos tipos de bibliotecas (de investigación, universitarias y populares) en Argentina, se efectúa un balance sobre su uso en este tipo de instituciones y se proponen lineamientos para la formulación de una política comunicacional que las contemple y forme parte del plan de gestión de estas unidades de información. Los mismos apuntan a considerar cabalmente todos los aspectos vinculados a los alcances, limitaciones, usos, riesgos y demás que implica la adopción y la apropiación de diferentes redes sociales (tales como Facebook, Twitter, entre otras), su convivencia, gestión y sustentabilidad a lo largo del tiempo

The reality of cross-disciplinary energy research in the United Kingdom:a social science perspective

Cross-disciplinary research is essential in understanding and reducing energy usage, however the reality of this collaboration comes with many challenges. This paper provides an insight into the integration of social science in energy research, drawing on the expertise and first hand experiences of a range of social science researchers (predominantly Early Career Researchers (ECRs)) working on UK cross-disciplinary projects in energy demand. These researchers, participants in a workshop dedicated to understanding the integration of social science in energy research, identified four groups of challenges to successful integration: Differing expectations of the role of social scientists; Working within academia; Feeling like a valued member of the team; and Communicating and comprehension between disciplines. Suggestions of how to negotiate those challenges included: Management and planning; Increasing contact; Sharing experience; and Understanding team roles. The paper offers a definition of ‘success’ in cross-disciplinary energy research from the perspective of social science ECRs, comprising external, internal and personal components. Using the logics of interdisciplinarity, this paper suggests that integration of the social sciences in the projects discussed may be partial at best and highlights a need to recognise the challenges ECRs face, in order to achieve full integration and equality of disciplines.

Qualidade do sono e trabalho por turnos

O estilo de vida, atualmente, tem bastante influência na higiene do sono. São diversos os fatores que contribuem tanto para a sua manutenção como para a sua falha. O trabalho por turnos está frequentemente associado a elevadas cargas de stresse e fadiga devido a situações imprevisíveis e perigosas que possam advir da área profissional, da rotatividade do horário laboral, a um sono deficiente, à falta de atividades desportivas e de lazer, bem como à má alimentação. Estilo de vida, este, que reduz a qualidade de vida em geral e aumenta drasticamente a probabilidade de surgir doenças quer ao nível físico como mental. O sono, por sua vez, é um fenómeno universal de grande importância para o desenvolvimento humano. A qualidade do sono é determinada por vários fatores, entre eles as rotinas de sono. Torna-se, assim, importante estudar as rotinas de forma a incrementar o conhecimento sobre este determinante. A alternância do dia-noite –claro/escuro -, os horários de trabalho, os horários de lazer, as atividades familiares são todos fatores exógenos que sincronizam o ciclo sono-vigília. Estudar a qualidade de sono em profissionais que trabalham por turnos é de extrema relevância visto tratar-se de uma população cada vez mais em risco e em que se considera que o sono seja um dos fatores mais comprometidos. O presente estudo tem como objetivo caraterizar e avaliar a qualidade do sono em profissionais, em função dos horários de trabalho. A metodologia utilizada é quantitativa e centrou-se na aplicação do questionário IQSP – Índice de Qualidade do Sono de Buysse et al. (1989), adaptado e traduzido para português. O questionário foi aplicado a 50 indivíduos pertencentes à Polícia Marítima, na Zona Norte de Portugal Continental, na maioria (92%) homens com idades compreendidas entre os 36 e os 55 anos. Do total de participantes, 76% (n=38) encontra-se a trabalhar por turnos. A análise dos dados foi efetuada através do Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, versão 22, tendo sido realizadas análises descritivas, inferenciais e correlacionais. Com maior relevância, no presente estudo, conclui-se que não existem diferenças estatisticamente significativas na qualidade do sono entre aqueles que trabalham por turnos e os que têm horário fixo, bem como, que a qualidade do sono também não se diferencia em função da idade, do tempo de profissão e da existência de filhos pequenos. Conclui-se, ainda, que a qualidade do sono parece estar relacionada com a satisfação com o horário de trabalho.

Hunting the Beast on YouTube : The framing of nature in social media

Humans’ perceived relationship to nature and non-human lifeforms is fundamental for sustainable development; different framings of nature – as commodity, as threat, as sacred etc. – imply different responses to future challenges. The body of research on nature repre-sentations in various symbolic contexts is growing, but the ways in which nature is framed by people in the everyday has received scant attention. This paper aims to contribute to our understanding of the framing of nature by studying how wild-boar hunting is depicted on YouTube. The qualitative frame analysis identified three interrelated frames depicting hunting as battle, as consumption, and as privilege, all of which constitute and are constituted by the underlying notion of human as superior to nature. It is suggested that these hegemonic nature frames suppress more constructive ways of framing the human-nature relationship, but also that the identification of such potential counter-hegemonic frames enables their discursive manifestation.